The 7 and 9 of wands

Thread originally posted on the Aeclectic Tarot Forum on 15 Jun 2003, and now archived in the Forum Library.

Kistarr	15 Jun 2003
Hi there. I use the Robin Wood deck, and a few weeks ago I was looking through my cards for no particular reason when I came across the 7 and 9 of wands. I stopped and set them aside. I don't know why. After some reflection I realized that they were the same person just at different periods in their life. The first card is that of a young man dressed in a green checked kilt bravely fending of wands thrust at him from below. Although he looks determined it seems a smile is playing at the corner of his mouth. Perhaps he enjoys a challenge and feels invincible? Young, strong, unhurt, ready to face the world, perhaps a little hard-headed. I got out 'Tarot Plain and Simple' and looked up this card. The caption underneath read "Holding Firm" Well, the boy seems to be doing just that. Fresh and ready for battle and the world but fighting what seems to me too many at a time. But he's young and can handle it all--we hope. The second card shows an older man in brown breeches standing before a row of wands while holding his own. His stance is one of 'at ease' but he appears ready for trouble. He is no longer the head strong, eager youth seeking the glories of battle, but a war worn veteran who now knows the reality of life. He has been wounded but has won out [i feel the wands were won from various 'battles' he's faced.] He is wearing a pendant around his neck, it looks like the rune Algiz [protection] and the captions read "Strength in Reserve" I looked up the rune in 'The Book of Runes' by Ralph H. Blum. "Control of the emotions is at issue here...it is important not to collapse yourself into your emotions, the highs as well as the lows. Algiz serves as a mirror for the Spiritual Warrior, the one whose battle is always with the self. ...Remain mindful that timely right action and correct conduct are your only true protection." That seemed to exactly sum up what the card was saying to me. The young heedless youth full of vitality, eager to prove himself has become a strong man, world wise and strong spiritually. He now knows what it is he's fighting for and how to win without wasting his time and energy. He seems tired but ultimately at peace with himself. My one fear is that this strong man will falterer and become the dejected looking man shown in the 10 of wands--seen heading home overburdened with his head hung low. Was he defeated or was being triumphant more of a burden than he thought???

HudsonGray	15 Jun 2003
I've got the deck & the book she put out on it too. They are the same person, but the man in the 10 may not be him. That card stands for heavy burdens, success at the price of becoming oppressive, a martyr complex. In the 7 you see the youth on the high ground, which gives him the added advantage in the fight (figuratively and literally). He looks out at the battles coming at him. This is someone willing to fight to the finish, even when outnumbered. He's a non-conformist (the Kilt), and he and his wand are perfectly balanced. There's a white crystal to the fore, a black crystal behind him and a knot in the center where they meet. They both glow because he gives equal energy to each. The people holding the wands at him are beneath him, and 'in the dark'. None of their crystals are glowing, they don't have the life energy he has. They are also not organized (in a regiment) against him. He's barefoot to be grounded & solid in his position. With the 9 the man is resting, ready to face the next challenge, and looking off to the side in anticipation of the next attack. At this stage the attacks aren't so straightforward as coming at him from the front. The bandage on his head indicates many battles are battles of will, not strength. His feet are bare to be in touch with the ground beneath him. The belt on his pants is important--there are no loops, he gathers his pants under it to hav eit held up, but it may fail at any moment (this card indicates deception too, and having the belt fail indicates that help may not be all that he expects it). It could fail at the most inopportune time. The rune indicates he has the protection of the powers that be. With his wand he has balance, the clear crystal at the top and the healing purple crystal at the bottom, connected with the spiral up the staff. The wands behind belong to his allies, each is arranged in a specific order for use at his hand. He stnads in full sunlight, with dark behind him--in the eye of the storm, at peace for the moment. She said she tried to make the sky look like the one in the 3 of Swords, foreshadowing pain and sorrow. The card is supposed to use the time to regroup & take a breather, gather your allies & be ready to continue the fight.

The The 7 and 9 of wands thread was originally posted on 15 Jun 2003 in the Using Tarot Cards board, and is now archived in the Forum Library. Read the active threads in Using Tarot Cards, or read more archived threads.